These candles burn so evenly AND you also get a really dandy piece of jewelry out of it. I’m sure you’ve seen other jewelry candles out there, but most of them only give you the option of a ordering one with a ring hidden inside. With Jackpot Candles you actually get the option to pick from a candle with a ring, necklace, or earrings in it! Now isn’t that really dandy?! Which would you pick? Ring? Necklace? Earrings? Maybe 3 candles with one of each? The candles run just $24.95 and that’s with the jewelry item built right in. So honestly? It’s like you get a free candle! There’s nothing not dandy about that. Let me tell you… It’s a win-win.

After you harvest your prize from the candle then you still have a great scented candle to enjoy. I’m thinking that I’m a Jackpot Candle kinda gal from now on. Why spend $$$ on just a regular old scented candle when you can get a jackpot out of every one? Get yourself a Jackpot Candle and you’ll not be disappointed by the surprise.

There are tons of yummy scents to choose from. I got the Sweet Pea and Pina Colada. Not a candle burning kind of gal? There are even melting tarts available from Jackpot Candles! What’s more? All of the prize jewelry is valued between $15 and $5,000!!!

What to win your own??? Now is your chance! Just enter to win via the Rafflecopter below and you will be on your way to possibly receiving a Jackpot Candle of your choice!

*This giveaway is open to US entries only.
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of Monday, March 23rd and will be emailed. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*This posting and giveaway are sponsored by Jackpot Candles. I received 2 candles for doing this posting and giveaway, but all opinions are strictly my own.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received the above products for the purpose of a review and giveaway. As always the thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.

GUIDELINES/DISCLAIMER/RULES

One lucky winner will receive a pink “Keep Calm…I’m A Mom” V-Neck Tee in size Small, Medium or Large. All candidates are required to sign up to the newsletter for consideration. This giveaway ends Dec. 26, 2014.

The winner will receive an email asking for their shipping address and shirt size. The winner must respond within 48 hours. If the person fails to respond with the correct information, the item will be sent to someone else. Good luck!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

As a little girl, I remember how much I loved watching my mom get ready for church or for a date with my dad. She gave me a pink blush kit that was almost gone to play with, and I remember primping in front of the mirror with that terribly frayed blush brush all the time! Makeup is magical at any age! Painting yourself up is just so fun.

Starlooksis a pro-quality makeup line with a monthly subscription box option where you get to try the entire line at an exclusive discounted price! If you’re a subscription box guru, you know that $15/month is a steal. Especially when you’re getting 3-4 full size items. The value of what you’re getting is between $35.00 – $99.00, so do the math. Here were the last three month’s boxes:

I had the opportunity to review a Starbox a few months ago (and you can read that review HERE), and there were a few things that made this monthly subscription box stand out from the rest. First of all, they send full-size items, not samples. You are getting a product that will last you much longer than one or two applications just to test it out. You’re getting products that will last you weeks/months. Also, all of the products you are getting are of the Starlooks brand. This makeup line rocks. This is a PRO quality makeup line, comparable to Makeup Forever, Sephora, M.A.C, Chanel, and Dior.

Ok, at first sight, the amount of color in this box looked a little crazy, but I gave it a shot. The included pictures of how to use all 5 of these colors at once was helpful. The look is really fun, and though it might be a little loud for church, this is perfect for date night!Same with the blue liner. It is dark enough while also not being too sparkly, so it looks professional and not as juvenile as I thought it would. I’ll certainly keep using it and love it more each time :). What I REALLY love is this eyeliner brush! Its actually my first one to own, and I really love being able to apply my liner with such a fantastic brush. The slant angle makes it super easy to use and the look is gorgeous.

Kind of crazy, but I like it! I love the ease in which this makeup goes on and stays on. It looks and feels high-quality, and the color combination is so fun.

If you’re into eyeshadow, I have it on good authority that you should RUN over to Starlooks and sign up for the Dec. box!! You will not regret this one, ladies. Give the gift of a Starbox Subscription to a friend / loved one for the holidays, and they will receive the December Starbox – an incredible $99 value! – which will contain their 15 Shade Eye Shadow Palette!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Such a beautiful piece of jewelry and all sales go to our team for Light the Night St. Louis! Plus, this owl necklace is only 99 cents making it a steal of a deal. Get your’s before they sell out for good!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Growing up, my dad worked a completely consistent schedule and was home by 4:30 p.m. every night, which allowed our family the opportunity to eat dinner together almost every single night. Even during my high school years when we’d all be running in opposite directions, I think we did a pretty good job of having as many of us at the dinner table as possible, and I can’t remember even one time that any of us ate dinner in our own rooms. (I do, however, have incredibly fond memories of our Chili’s takeout dinners on Friday nights in front of the TV watching Survivor and The Apprentice!)

My husband’s schedule, while consistent, doesn’t mean that we have the option of eating dinner together every night, but we do try to eat at least one (and usually two!) meals together as a family everyday. As parents of young boys, though, these meals can be highly exhausting! Both of my boys are good eaters, but they can get active and it’s rare to have both of them actually sit at the table through the entire meal without a number of reminders. In fact, just the other day, I mentioned to both of them that I was planning to put seatbelts on their chairs so that they would stay in one place and finish eating!

Well, these products from MyLittleSeatare even better than my idea of having seatbelts installed on our chairs — this sling style travel high chair allows for any chair to become a high chair safe enough for young children! These seats can be used in your own homes, at friends’ houses (whether they have children or not), in restaurants, and on vacation. They have the cutest designs for their sturdy fabric, and the best part is that fold down into a matching compact travel bag that is just larger than the size of a diaper and wipes container!

“Determined not to “go back to work” as a result of the love affair that comes with having a baby [founder Stephanie Collins] set about finding something creative to do from home-preferably only during nap time. Being new parents who travel quite often, and overwhelmed with all the additional baggage necessary while traveling with an infant, Stephanie and her husband would often secure their baby to a seat for meals with whatever was on hand (initially using a sarong while in a coffee shop at the airport). With inspiration from her grandmother who used to secure her children to adult chairs using towels, she made multiple trial versions of a compact, fabric, baby sling style harness that secures an infant to an adult chair – and after lots of trials and experimentation, mylittleseatwas born!”

We have loved to try our MyLittleSeat travel high chair on my two year old (who, admittedly, is on the smaller side but fits comfortably), but I’m very excited to use this next year when we’re in a new country with an infant! We have lots of travel plans, and this product will work perfectly to safely keep our youngest addition upright and restrained without much inconvenience or prior thinking.

One Dandy reader will win a MyLittleSeat travel high chair, in any design! Enter below to win!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

One of my very favorite things lately are these monthly subscription boxes! We’ve tried a bunch at our house lately, but just recently have I ventured into the beauty monthly subscription box. Each time, though, I’ve found a new product to love that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise, and I’ve also had the opportunity to try different techniques with makeup and my hair that have been fun for the start of the summer season!

“Once a month, we deliver a Beauty Box with four or five handpicked samples directly to your doorstep. Your Beauty Box will contain items like makeup, skin care products, hair care products, fragrances and a few other surprises! Learn more about your samples on our site! You can see exactly what other beauty lovers are saying about the products. Plus, you’ll find special how-tos and beauty tips right at your fingertips. We think you’re going to love your samples! If you just have to have more, you can purchase products directly from us or from our partners.”

Here are the contents my the May Beauty Box 5 monthly subscription box that I received last week:

The Jean Pierre Tanning Towelettes — While my stark-white legs and arms are probably screaming for a little color on them, I saw a tutorial about using self-tanner to get rid of tan lines that inevitably show up (even through my SPF-50-every-two-hour application). I’m tucking these away in my cabinet for just that time.OFRA Loose Shadow in Diamond Glitz — This is the third container of loose eyeshadow that I’ve received in these makeup/beauty subscription boxes, and I think I’m sold on them! This color is a neutral taupe with just a hint of shimmer, and the application easily varies from light daytime looks to dramatic nighttime ones.

Model Co Black Eyeliner — I LOVE that the sharpener is right in the cap of these eyeliner pencil so that I don’t have to try and find where one might be when I’m racing around in the middle of our crazy morning routine. Although I’m not generally a fan of black eyeliner, I do love having one on hand for a girls night out or a date night to give a little more pop.

Coolway Transform Styling Spray — This is the perfect example of a product that I didn’t even know existed! This styling spray cuts your drying time in half and protects hair from damage that comes from high heat. I use both my blow-dryer and my flat iron (that reaches 450 degrees!) every single day, so this product was a must for me and was my favorite of the bunch.

LA Fresh Deodorant Wipes — And there are just too many days that I give myself a big ol’ pat on the back for getting myself and my two boys up and out the door just in time for preschool in the morning, only to realize that I’ve forgotten deodorant. Definitely gross, and I’m not one to head back home when I have a list of errands to run before preschool is done. I tossed these in the center console and am sure that I’ll have a chance to use them all too soon…

Share BB5 with five of your friends and earn a free one-month subscription! Just head to the Sharing Is Caring page!

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

I remember one time when I was about 15 years old, we had a two-year-old boy from our church come over for the afternoon. It was interesting to have him in our home (which was NOT childproofed at all since my youngest sister was about eight years old at the time), and it was especially interesting to see everyone in our family try to figure out how to work around this little person. While we all had a good time and enjoyed playing with him, we all breathed a sigh of relief when his mom came to pick him up so we could return to our normal activities without a toddler around.

The funniest comment to me, though, was one that my mom made later when she said how odd it was to try and remember what two-year-olds could do. Could he drink from a cup? Would he want to play with stacking blocks? Can he put on his own shoes? What type of words can he say at this age? I was shocked!! How could my mom have had four children and not know what a two-year-old can do??

Well, I just had a little girl who is just 10 months younger than my own little boy come play on Monday morning, and I admit that I had a flashback to that snippet of conversation. I (wrongly) assumed I would be able get something done since she would play with my son and wouldn’t need much from me, but I completely forgot that 18-month-olds also like to get in to everything and need constant supervision. How could I have had two active little boys and not remembered what it’s like to have an 18-month-old? 🙂

This sort of dilemma also comes up when birthdays and Christmas roll around and we try to think of something that our nieces and nephews would like, especially those in the pre-teen years. Our families are on the West coast while we’re here on the East coast, so we only see them maybe once a year, which can make gift-giving a challenge. I’m sure that many of you feel this same way, so I was thrilled to have the chance to feature eBeanstalk.comto our Dandy readers!

eBeanstalk.com is a website that sells “expert-selected toys matched to a child’s development”, meaning that the toys are not only appealing to children in that age group but are also developmentally appropriate (no pieces that are too small or include words that are too big). You might remember my own feelings about wanting “toys” or, rather, activities that offer open-ended play and use of imagination, and these toys absolutely fit that bill!

I also love that eBeanstalk.com offers Birthday Remindersfor those who sign up for this free service through an account. This reminder is perfect for our growing extended family that is continually growing and is now spreading out all over the country (and world)!

My oldest has a slew of toys, games, and activities that he’s received over the years, but my younger son doesn’t always get a brand-new toy just for him. I usually already have something stored away for him that his older brother had played with months/years beforehand. Because of this, I was most interested in taking a look at the toys for 2 year oldsto see what might be fun for him to explore right now.

Since he’s especially interested in the alphabet right now the alphabet toys for 2 year oldscaught my eye. He can recognize that something is a letter (or number) but doesn’t usually say the right letter.

And, thinking about a few friends who will have birthdays this summer, I headed over to check out the top selling toys for 2 year olds, especially since most of these little friends are girls — we’re not exactly up to date on girl toys here in our all-boy household!

I would highly recommendeBeanstalk.com for anyone looking for a gift or looking for some good ideas for developmentally appropriate toys, games, and activities for a certain age group. There are great products from some of my favorite brands, and their items are all high-quality.

**This post was sponsored by eBeanstalk,com, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Because I’m a thrifty shopper and I like to pick up great deals all year long, I have a large stash of gifts for all occasions on the top shelf in my closet. I have gifts for baby showers, birthdays (for all ages and genders!), and for fun holidays throughout the year. My biggest stash, though, is my Christmas gift stash. We determined a couple of years ago that Santa was only going to give three gifts to each of our children, but then we each usually give gifts to each member of our little family, we have a swap for each of our extended families on top of the gifts we give our parents, and we also like to give small gifts to neighbors and friends. By the time that’s all said and done, we end up with quite a large list — and I’m sure you can relate!!

I had the opportunity to work with Ornaments and Morelast year, and I’m excited to feature them again on Dandy Giveaway in anticipation for their Christmas in July sale that is right around the corner! I absolutely LOVED the baby boy ornament that I received for my youngest son last Christmas; in fact, I liked it so much that I opted to receive another baby boy ornament to replace the one I had in storage for my oldest son! I like these ones so much better, and I plan to use Ornaments and More again when Baby Boy #3 makes his appearance in time for the holiday season.

Ornaments and More has an incredible selection of high-quality ornaments for incredibly reasonable prices. In both of my experiences with Ornament and More, the ornaments are shipped quickly, and the customer service was top-notch. My favorite part is that the personalization is done by handand is NOT computer-generated! Because our last name is Johnson, we’ve tried to choose more uncommon first names for our little boys; we love all three names, but it can be tricky to find ready-made personalized items for them.

Ornaments and More has an ornament for lots of different occasions; here are a few of my favorites for some special events that are coming up or might have just happened in your home:

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

I’ve recently decided that my favorite snack to eat in the afternoon is a grapefruit — not necessarily because it’s something that I love to eat or because I crave it, but because neither of my boys ask to share with me! The tartness isn’t appealing to them, so they glance over and see that have a grapefruit and then go straight back to what they were doing.

Without. saying. a. word.

It’s the little things when you’re a mom…

Chocolates, though, are quite the opposite! It doesn’t matter if they’re playing with friends, watching a movie, enjoying their new coloring books from Grandma (thank you!), or even eating a popsicle — they’ll dart over to me when they even sense that chocolate is out. You can imagine that I’ve become quite the closet-chocolate-eater to avoid having to share or justify why mom can have chocolate just before dinner but the boys can’t.

“…Chocolate by Genevie[creates] the finest artisan chocolates that make the ideal luxury gift for the people you love. Only the finest chocolates are selected for our collection and all boxes are packaged exquisitely and delivered 1st Class Royal Mail to the UK.”

“Our collection includes chocolates from the finest European Chocolatiers who excel in the art of chocolate; we regularly test new Chocolatiers work for quality and only truly outstanding chocolates are selected for our boxes. We are a small family business dedicated to sourcing and supplying chocolate that is second to none. Disappointed with the quality and direction of most UK chocolatiers we tirelessly searched and tested chocolates from across Europe to bring you an exceptional collection of artisan chocolates that are the culmination of Europe’s greatest chocolatiers.

“Our signature is reflected in chocolates that have high cocoa content with less sugar, consisting of only premium ingredients. If you’re looking for cheap ultra sugary chocolates made with cost cutting ingredients then our products are not for you.”

Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

I really love living in a small town and especially love the sense of community, and I admit that I can get a little over-excited when I think about community workers — there’s just something about the idea of each person having a specific job or role that contributes to helping other people. I think that the mail service is ingenious, and I’m almost more excited about seeing the garbage/recycle truck each week than my two year old is. Teachers and police officers are saints, and I love feeling like I’m doing some good by pulling over to the side of the road while the fire engine and ambulance go roaring by. I’m so grateful for doctors during our well-baby visits and during our sick-baby visits, and I can’t imagine what I would do without our trusty Shell Oil station nearby to change the oil on our vehicles every few months.

I feel this same way about skills and talents, and I know that mine are to teach piano lessons and comma splices. I love that there are people who like to cook delicious meals, create amazing cakes, clean and organize homes, and sew beautiful creations. Mostly, though, I love these people because then I can focus on teaching piano lessons and comma splices in exchange for their services. 🙂

The creators of Jacks and Roxanneare two of those women who have amazing talents and skills related to sewing and crafting, and their creations are perfect for moms-to-be and young children.

My favorite item in their shop is the customizable, hand-painted Maternity Shirtthat announces when your baby is due! Gone are the days of being told that the baby should be coming any day now (when you’re only in your second trimester) or having questioning stares as to if you’re really pregnant or if you just ate a little too much. These are perfect for maternity pictures, and I love the simplicity of the font that keeps these shirts looking classy.

After baby comes, this Monthly Onesie Set is the perfect way to see the baby grow each month and to document the changes that take place. You can choose different colors for the onesies, along with the fabric for the numbers and whether or not you’d like the name included. These are a great baby shower gift for a friend or family member!

I know that it’s baby season on my Facebook News Feed right now, and I can imagine it would be about the same for you! If you’re looking for a fun, personalized gift for someone you know is expecting or are looking for something special for yourself, head over to Jacks and Roxanne!